Chess Rules
Chess Rules Intro
You've come to the right place if you need to get familiar with chess rules. I cover every aspect right here on this page.
Developing good, sound strategy may take a while, but the rules won't take long to learn at all. The game of chess is played between two opponents on a square board called a "chessboard". The object of the game is to capture the opposing king.
The player with the white pieces starts the game. Play then alternates with each player taking turns to move. For an intro or a refresher to chess terminology take a look at the chess glossary. If you're not clear on anything when you've finished reading these rules you should visit the FAQ.
The Chessboard
Chess Rules: Standard chessboard
The chessboard is composed of 64 equal squares, alternately light and dark squares. This has been the case since the middle ages.
The chessboard is placed in such a way that the corner square to the right of each player is white. The eight rows of squares running from one player to the other player are called "files."
The eight rows of squares running at right angles to the files are called "ranks." The rows of squares of the same colour, touching corner to corner, are called "diagonals."
Chess Setup
Chess Rules: Initial start position for a chess game
The diagram to your right shows the initial set-up to start a game. Both players start with 16 pieces. The pieces are:
A white king: K; A black king: K; A white queen: Q; A black queen: Q; Two white rooks: R; Two black rooks: R; Two white knights: N; Two black knights: N; Two white bishops: B; Two black bishops: B; Eight white pawns: P; Eight black pawns: P.
The rules of chess state that the pieces start (in algebraic chess notation form) as follows:
White Rooks: a1,h1; Black Rooks: a8,h8; White Knights: b1,g1; Black Knights: b8,g8; White Bishops: c1,f1; Black Bishops: c8,f8; White Queen: d1; Black Queen: d8; White King: e1; Black King: e8. White Pawns: a2,b2,c2,d2,e2,f2,g2,h2; Black Pawns: a7,b7,c7,d7,e7,f7,g7,h7.
The Moves
Chess Rules: The white bishop can capture the black knight, meanwhile the black rook can take the white knight
Apart from castling, you make moves by moving a piece of your army from one square to another square. The destination square on a given move must be either vacant or occupied by one of your opponents pieces.
Only the knight may cross a square occupied by another piece. The only possible exception to this rule is the special castling move between king and rook.
To capture one of your opponents pieces you must play one of your pieces onto the square occupied by your opponents piece. On capturing, you immediately remove your opponents piece from the chessboard. The different pieces have their own unique movements. For a crash course on the main rules you can take a look at the chess basics or you can simply ask me a question on chess moves.
The Pieces
Chess Rules: Chess Pieces
The pawn moves only forward to the other end of the board. The knight moves in an L-shaped fashion. You may also find the Knight Tour interesting.
The bishop moves to any square as far as the way is clear on the diagonals on which it stands. The rook moves straight to any square as far as the way is clear on the file or rank on which it stands.
The queen moves as far as the way is clear on the file, rank, or diagonals on which she stands. The king moves just like the queen except instead of enjoying maximum range he is restricted to minimum range. He can move only one square at a time in any direction.
Move Completion
Chess Rules: Bishops put pressure on kingside pawns threatening mate
A move is completed in the case of:
1.a move to a vacant square, when your hand has released the piece;
2.a capture, when the captured piece has been removed and your hand has released your piece;
3.castling, when your hand has released the rook; or
4.a promotion of a pawn, when the pawn has been removed from the board and your hand has released the new queen.
The Touched Piece
Chess Rules: If Black touches the king first, he must move it and watch the white bishop capture his queen
So long as you first advise your opponent, and only on your turn, you may adjust one or more pieces on their squares.
Apart from that, if on your move you touch:
1. one or more of your own pieces, you must move that piece if it is possible to do so;
2. one or more of your opponents pieces, you must capture the first piece touched that can be captured;
Illegal Positions
Chess Rules: The black king is in check; this must be averted before the end of Black's move, either by Kh8 or Rf7, because it is illegal to leave a king in check after a move is completed
It is illegal to leave your king in check at the end of your move. You must avert the threat if at all possible.
If, during a game, it is discovered that an illegal move was made, the game shall be reverted to the position it was before the illegal move was made.
If the position cannot be reinstated, the game shall be annulled and a new game played.
Check And Checkmate
Chess Rules: The black king is checkmated by the two white rooks
When a player threatens the opposing king with capture, the king is said to be in check. If your king is in check then you must avert its capture to survive. It is illegal to leave your king in check. To alleviate the threat:
1. Move the king to a square not commanded by your opponents pieces,
2. Capture the attacking piece, or
3. Block the check by moving one of your pieces between the attacking piece and your king.
The quickest possible checkmate in chess is fool's mate.
The Won Game
Chess Rules: White wins by checkmating Black's king
You win when:
1. you checkmate your opponents king,
2. your opponents clock runs out of time, or
3. your opponent refuses to comply with the chess rules during the game.
The Drawn Game
Chess Rules: Neither king has enough troops to force a mate on the other
In the diagram on the left you can see that neither king has enough troops to checkmate the other. This situation results in a draw. The game is drawn:
1. if your king, on your turn to move is not in check and you cannot make any legal move. Your king is then said to be "stalemated."
2. if agreed between the two players.
3. if you claim that the same position (a) is about to appear or (b) has appeared, for the third time, the same player having the move each time.
The Right To Draw
The right to claim the draw belongs exclusively to the player:
1. who is about to play a move leading to such a repetition of the position, or
2. who is about to reply to a move that has produced the repeated position.
If you move without claiming a draw in the manner described in 1. or 2. you lose the right to claim a draw; this right is restored to you, however, if the same position appears again, you again having the move.
For example, you would no longer be entitled to demand a draw if, after the repetition of a position, castling or taking a pawn "en passant" was no longer possible. When you show while moving that at least fifty consecutive moves have been made by each side with no capture of any piece or the movement of any pawn.
You may only propose a draw when you have just completed a move. You start your opponents clock after the request, not before. Your opponent may accept the draw or, either orally or by completing a move, he may reject it. In the meantime you cannot withdraw it.
The Lost Game
Chess Rules: Another checkmate
You lose when:
1. Your king is checkmated on the board,
2. You run out of time on your clock,
3. You refuse to comply with the chess rules during the game.
If both players refuse to comply with the rules or if both players are more than an hour late, both players lose.
Moving On
Moving On: Chess Strategy
Well done, you've just worked your way through a comprehensive run-down of the official rules of chess. Give yourself a well deserved clap on the back!
When you break them down, it's not that hard really. Hopefully you will found this run-down well explained. If not ask me a question on the FAQ section.
If you're satisfied that you have a handle on the rules and you feel you've got the moves down, you are then ready to take a delve into strategy.
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